Terminal attaching machine



Sept. 9, 1969 F. v. BROSSEIT TERMINAL ATTACHING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Dec. 25, 1966 /(ll 110x iiiiJL- O O O O O O FRITZ v. BROSSEIT [III II H INVENTOR ATTORN OOOOOOOOOO FIG. I

Sept. 9, 1969 F. v. BROSSEIT 3,465,409

TERMINAL ATTACHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 25, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4a

Sept. 9, 1969 F. v. BROSSEIT TERMINAL ATTACHING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3Filed Dec. 23, 1966 FIG.

FIG. 5a

United States Patent m 3,465,409 TERMINAL ATTACHING MACHINE Fritz V.Brosseit, Kansas City, Mo., assignor to Western Electric Company,Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 23,1966, Ser. No. 604,350 Int. Cl. B231) 11/00; H01r 43/00 US. Cl. 29203 9Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for attaching terminals toboth ends of a length of wire including a normally closed wire guidingchannel, means for feeding wire into the channel, a pair of anvilspositioned under the channel, means for feeding strips of terminals overthe anvils, and a plurality of transfer members for movement into thechannel, for camming the channel open, for severing the wire, for movingthe severed wire out of the channel into engagement with the strips ofterminals on the anvils and for cooperation with the anvils to crimpterminals on the strips around the wires.

In the past it has been the practice to wind strips of interconnectedterminal blanks into coils and then to use the coil as the input toterminal attaching machines wherein wires are either manually orsemiautomatically fed into engagement with the terminal blanks forattachment to the blanks. The inherent costs of winding, transporting,storing and unwinding the coils of terminal blanks together with thefact that the operation of terminal attaching machines frequentlyrequires much manual labor causes this procedure to be very costly,especially when it is used in the manufacture of large numbers ofidentical parts.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to reduce the cost ofattaching terminals to wires.

A further object of this invention is to provide a ter minal attachingmachine which automatically forms pairs of terminal blanks, cuts wiresto length and attaches the terminal blanks to the wires.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention these andother objects are achieved by simultaneously advancing two strips ofterminal material along parallel paths and by progressively forming thestrips into strips of interconnected terminal blanks. A normally closedwire guiding channel positioned between the strips positions aninsulated wire over a terminal blank in each of the strips. A wire cutoff and transfer mechanism positioned over the normally closed wireguiding channel cuts the wire to length, opens the wire guiding channel,moves the cut off wire into engagement with the terminal blanks andcrimps a terminal blank around each end of the wire. Finally, theterminals are completed and separated so that the entire operationresults in finished assemblies, each comprised of a length of Wirehaving a terminal attached to each of its ends.

A more complete understanding of the invention may be had by referringto the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with thedrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram showing the operations performed by a terminalattaching machine employing the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the die member of a terminal attaching machineemploying the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 in FIG. 2 showing theterminal attaching portion of a terminal attaching machine employing thepresent invent1on;

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 4--4 in FIG. 3;

3,465,409 Patented Sept. 9, 1969 FIG. 4a: is an enlarged view similar toFIG. 4 showing the parts in a partially closed position;

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 55 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5a is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the parts in a closedposition; and

FIG. 6 is an exploded, partial perspective view of the channel definingcomponents of a terminal attaching machine employing the presentinvention.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designatelike parts throughout the several views, with particular reference beinghad to FIG. 1, there are shown two strips of terminal material stock Sand a length of wire W. The strips S are advanced step-by-step alongparallel paths through the terminal attaching machine shown in theremaining figures of the drawings and are progressively transformed fromraw material to finished parts.

As the strips pass through the terminal attaching machine, various holes10 are first formed in the strips S. Then, zig-zag cuts 11 are formed inthe strips to separate the strips into unitary sections.

After the strips 8 are separated into unitary sections a pair ofinsulation piercing tabs 12 and 13 are formed in each section. Then, thetabs 12 and 13 are sharpened and wire engaging sides 14 are formed fromthe unitary sections. The cutting and sharpening of the tabs 12 and 13and the forming of the sides 14 are described in US. Patent 3,434,324 toF. V. Brosseit issued Mar. 25, 1969.

Upon completion of the tabs 12 and 13 and the sides 14 the strips ofterminal material S are ready to have the lengths of wire attached tothem. The mechanism shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 positions the wire Wover the strips S, cuts the wire to length, moves the wire intoengagement with the strips S and crimps the walls 14 around the wire.This results in cut-off lengths of wire 15 which are attached to thestrips by crimps 16.

After the wires 15 are attached, various perforations 17 are made in thestrips of stock S to form the strips into finished terminals 1'8.Finally, the terminals 18 are separated one from another so thatcomplete assemblies 19, each comprised of a length of wire 15 having afinished terminal 18 attached to each of its ends, result.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the details of a terminal attaching machineemploying the present invention are shown. The terminal attachingmachine is comprised generally of a punch member 11 and a die member 12.The punch member 11 includes a punch shoe 20 suitably formed forattachment to the ram of a standard punch press. An upper strippermember 21 is supported on the punch shoe 20 by upper stripper supportingscrews 22 and is normally urged away from the punch shoe 20 by upperstripper springs 23. The punch shoe 20 supports various punch elementswhich are attached to the punch shoe 20 by a punch holder 26 mounted onthe punch shoe 20. The elements are suitably positioned with respect tothe punch shoe 20 by a spacer plate 27.

The die member 12 includes a spacer plate 30 having a pair of die shoes'31 mounted on it. The die shoes 31 support various die elements whichare retained on the individual die shoes by a pair of die holders 32. Alower stripper 34 is supported on the die member 12 by lower strippersupport screws 35 and is normally held in a spaced relationship to thedie holders 32 by lower stripper springs 36. As is shown in FIG. 2 thelower stripper 34 supports two pairs of stock guides 37 which serve toguide the strips of stock S through the terminal attaching machine andthe various work stations of the device.

In use, the punch press to which the punch member 11 and the die member12 are attached moves the punch member 11 cyclically toward and awayfrom the die member 12. As is fully disclosed in the above-identifiedco-pending F. V. Brosseit application, the upper stripper 21 supportsvarious components (not shown in this application) which engage thelower stripper 34 during movement of the punch member 11 toward the diemember 12 and which drive the lower stripper 34 into engagement with thedie shoes 31 against the action of the lower stripper springs 35. Allthat need be understood for the purposes of this application is thatduring movement of the punch member 11 toward the die member 12 thelower stripper 34, and therefore the strips of stock S carried on thelower stripper are moved toward the die shoes 31.

As is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 a feeder 40 is mounted on the spacer plate30. The feeder 40 advances the wire W from a roll of wire 41 into thedie member 12 of the terminal attaching machine. The wire passes fromthe feeder 40 through a guide 42 supported on the die holder 32 nearestthe feeder 40 and through a normally closed wire guiding channel 43 intoengagement with a stop 44 mounted on the die holder 32 remote from thefeeder 40. As is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the wire guiding channel 43 hasfunnel-shaped leading edges at each point where the wire W couldpossibly become jammed. This prevents any interference with the movementof the wire W from the feeder 40 into engagement with the stop 44 andassures rapid movement of the wire W throughout the complete length ofthe wire guiding channel 43.

Referring now to FIG. 6 the details of the wire guiding channel 43 areshown. The channel is comprised of a channel defining frame block 50mounted on the lower stripper 34, L-shaped frame block 51 also mountedon the lower stripper 34, and an L-shaped channel defining member 52slidably mounted on the L-shaped frame block 51. As is best shown inFIG. 2 the L-shaped channel defining member 52 is guided on the L-shapedframe 51 by a pair of guide pins 53 and is urged toward the channeldefining block 50 by a pair of channel member springs 54.

Referring again to FIG. 6 is may be seen that the channel defining frameblock 50 has a ledge 60 extending outwardly toward the L-shaped frameblock 51 and that the ledge 60 has an inverted U-shaped channel 61formed on its bottom side. The L-shaped channel defining member 52 has aledge 62 extending outwardly toward the frame block 50. The ledge 62normally underlies the inverted U-shaped channel 61 in the frame block50 thereby forming a completely closed wire guiding channel defined bythe three walls of the channel 61 and by the upper Surface of the ledge62.

Referring again to FIG. 3 it may be seen that a pair of upper anvils 70and three fork-shaped wire moving members 71 are attached to the punchshoe 20 by the punch holder 26. The upper anvils 70 are positioneddirectly above a pair of lower anvils 72 attached to the die shoe 31 bythe die holder 32. As is shown in FIGS. and 6 the wire moving members 71are positioned in a plurality of notches 73 and 74 formed in theL-shaped channel defining member 52 and in the channel defining frameblock 50, respectively, above a plurality of holes 75 formed in thelower stripper 34. The wire moving members 71 each have a cammingsurface 76 formed on their edge adjacent the L-shaped defining member5?. and the member 52 has camming surfaces 77 formed in the notches 73for cooperation with the camming surfaces 76.

As is shown in FIG. 3 operation of the device proceeds from theadvancement of the Wire W through the normally closed wire guidingchannel 43 which occurs each time the punch shoe 20 is raised. Upondownward movement of the punch shoe 20 the outer edge 80 of the upperanvil 70 adjacent the guide 42 cooperates with the inner edge 81 of theguide 42 to sever the wire W.

After the severing of the wire W, the camming surfaces 76 on the wiremoving members 71 engage the camming surfaces 77 on the L-shaped channeldefining member 52. As is shown in FIGS. 5 and 5a this drives the L-shaed channel defining member 52 toward the L-shaped frame block 51 againstthe action of the channel member springs 54. Movement of the channeldefining member 52 away from the channel defining frame block 50 opensthe normally closed Wire guiding channel defined by the channel 61 andthe ledge 62 on the L-shaped member 52 thereby allowing downwardmovement of the cut off wire 15 in the channel 43. At this time theupper anvils 70 and the wire moving members 71 engage the wire and driveit downwardly into engagement with the lower stripper 34. The engagementof the wire with the lower stripper has the effect of straightening thewire which assures that the cut-off wire extends its full length betweenthe lower anvils 72.

As is best shown in FIGS. 4 and 4a the strips of stock S are guided bythe stock guides 37 on the lower stripp r 34 into a position directlyabove the lower anvils 72. Therefore, as the lower stripper 34 is moveddownwardly by the punch member 11, one of the unitary sections of eachof the strips S is brought into engagement with each of the lower anvils72. Thus, as the cut-off wire 15 is moved downwardly by the upper anvils70 it is driven into engagement with the insulation piercing tabs 12 and13 formed in the strips of stock S. Since downward movement of the tabs12 and 13 is prevented by the lower anvils 72, this causes the tabs 12and 13 to penetrate the insulation of the wire 15 and to come intoelectrical contact with the conductive portions of the wire.

As is best shown in FIG. 4a the lower anvils 72 have upper surfaces 82and the upper anvils 70 have lower surfaces 83 suitably shaped to bendthe wire engaging sides 14 of the unitary sections of the strips Saround the cut-off wires 15. This forms the crimps 16 around each end ofthe wire 15 and causes the wire 15 to be connected to the two strips S.

After the formation of the crimps 16, the punch member 11 is moved awayfrom the die member 12 and the lower stripper 34 returns to the positionshown in FIG. 3. As is shown in FIG. 4 this positions the strips S foradvancement to a new station in the terminal attaching machine andpositions the wire 15 for passage under the L-shaped block 51 out ofalignment with the normally closed wire guiding channel 43. Thus, themechanism shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6 operates to cut the wire W tolength, to transfer the cut-off wire 15 from th normally closed wireguiding channels 43 into a crimping position, and simultaneously to forma crim 16 around each end of the wire.

Although only one embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawingsand described in the foregoing specification, it will be understood thatinvention is not limited to the specific embodiment described, but iscapable of modification and rearrangement and substitution of parts andelements without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for assembling terminals to wires which comprises:

a frame having at least one channel defining surface;

a channel forming member movably mounted with respect to the frame andhaving means positioned for cooperation with the channel definingsurface on the frame to define a normally closed wire guiding channel;

a wire moving member mounted adjacent the frame and the channel formingmember for movement toward and away from the frame to transfer a wirefrom the wire guiding channel to a remote point;

means on the wire moving member for displacing the channel formingmember relative to the frame thereby opening the normally closed wireguiding channel;

means for advancing a wire into the wire guiding channel;

means on the wire moving member for cutting off a length of the wire inthe wire guiding channel as the wire moving member moves toward theframe; and

means for attaching terminals to the cut length of wire.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for attachingincludes:

a terminal supporting anvil mounted adjacent the wire guiding channel;

means on the wire moving member for moving a wire from the wire guidingchannel into engagement with the terminal supporting anvil; and

cooperating means on the wire moving member and the terminal supportinganvil for forming a terminal around a wire when the wire is inengagement with the anvil.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for attachingincludes:

a pair of anvils one positioned adjacent each end of the wire guidingchannel; and

means on the wire moving member for moving a wire out of the wireguiding channel and into engagement with the anvils and for cooperationwith the anvils to simultaneously attach a terminal to each end of thewire.

4. In a terminal attaching machine of the type wherein a forming memberis reciprocated into engagement with an anvil to form a terminal arounda wire, the combination with the forming member of:

a wire guiding member mounted in the path of the forming member as ittravels into engagement with the anvil for defining a normally closedwire guiding channel; and

means on the forming member for moving the wire guiding member out ofthe path of the forming member thereby opening the wire guiding channelso that a wire may be moved therefrom into engagement with the anvil.

5. The combination according to claim 4 further including: means foradvancing a wire into the wire guiding channel; and

means on the forming member for cutting a wire in the wire guidingchannel to length.

6. A device for assembling wires and terminals includmg:

means for feeding two strips of terminal material in parallel paths apredetermined distance apart; means for forming the strips intointerconnected terminal blanks;

means for defining a normally closed wire guiding channel extendingtransversely to the paths of the terminal material;

means for feeding a wire through a channel;

means for cutting the wire in the channel to a length approximatelyequal to the distance between the paths, for opening the channel and formoving the wire out of the channel and into engagement with one terminalblank in each of the strips; and

means for separating the terminal blanks one from the other therebyforming lengths of wire having terminals attached to each of their ends.

7. The assembling device according to claim 6 wherein the channeldefining means includes means for guiding a wire as it is fed throughthe channel and wherein the wire moving means includes means forstraightening the wire as it is moved out of the channel.

8. The assembling device according to claim 6 wherein:

the wire is comprised of an electrical conductor and ins'ulatingcovering on the conductor;

the blank forming means forms the strips into insulation piercingterminal blanks, and

the wire moving means causes the terminal blanks to pierce theinsulation of the wire and to make an electrical connection with theconductor of the wire.

9. The assembling device according to claim 6 wherein the blank formingmeans forms the strips into terminal blanks having wire surroundingsides and wherein the wire moving bends the sides of the terminalsaround the wires.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,668,950 2/1954 Bohaboy et a1.29243.57 X 2,768,425 10/1956 Andren.

THOMAS H. EAGER, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 29243.57; 72324

